The Red and Black

Issue date: 9/28/07 Section: News

Media Credit: JOSH WEISS University Police officers talk to Maria Worsley (left), a senior psychology major from Athens, and LaKeithia Glover, a senior psychology major from Atlanta, after a University bus hit a student Friday morning in front of the Fine Arts Building. Worsley and Glover were both on the bus near the driver when the accident occured.

Media Credit: JOSH D. WEISS Special Police Officer P. Basinger (far right) of the Athens Clarke-County Police discusses the accident with Campus Transit Manager Ron Hamlin (left) and Campus Tranist Operations Manager Chris Baker (right).

A University student was hit by a University bus at a stop near the corner of Baldwin and Lumpkin streets a little after 10 a.m. Friday.

According to University Police Chief Jimmy Williamson, her condition was unknown. Williamson said legal reasons prohibited him from commenting on her condition while she was being treated.

A police report revealed the student was Sakura Yamzaki. She was cited for walking into the road.

Williamson said she was transported to Athens Regional Hospital.

Sgt. First Class Jeff Thompson with the University ROTC was the first person to arrive on the scene. Thompson, who arrived on campus last week and has served three tours in Iraq, worked quickly with other members of ROTC to stabilize the student.

"She was bleeding from the back of the head, and I was able to cut her bookbag off and try to steady her head and neck," Thompson said. "She was seizing up and going in and out of consciousness."

Thompson kept her stabilized until Emergency Medical Services arrived. "They were pretty quick getting there, but in a situation like that it feels like a lifetime."

Sophomore Allison O'Shea, who was waiting at the bus stop during the accident, said the woman first tried to cross Baldwin while the bus slowed down as it approached the stop. The woman hesitated and then attempted to cross again when she was struck.

"She was just walking in the blue zone in front of the crosswalk. [She] did not give a glance, she was struck by the bus and went flying down," O'Shea said.

O'Shea said the woman went into seizures and then was unconscious for about 10 seconds before she regained consciousness.

"Her eyes opened and kind of rolled back, her head was bleeding," O'Shea said. "Another student held her head, we told her not to move. She was breathing."

Sophomore Ricardo Crawford was also waiting at the bus stop when he witnessed the accident.

"She wasn't even looking, she stepped out, she never looked," Crawford said. "The bus hit her, she went spinning."

Crawford said the front right corner of the bus struck the woman.

"There were marks on her bookbag," he said.

Crawford said that people heard the sound of the collision from as far away as Park Hall.

"It was really loud, it was a loud thump," he said.

Junior Katy Burtner, who was on the bus, said the driver yelled repeatedly at the woman and did what he could to avoid the accident.

"He yelled watch out, he definitely tried to slow down," Burtner said. "Her getting hit was completely unavoidable, he couldn't do anything. He was not at fault, I want to make that clear."

The accident visibly stunned onlookers as well as the bus driver, who was not a student, according to Tom Jackson, vice president of Public Affairs.

"He is a full-time, veteran bus driver, experienced," Jackson said.

After the collision, the driver immediately stopped and exited the bus to see to the woman, Burtner said.

"He stopped right away and tried to help her," she said.

Crawford said the driver was upset.

"He was crying, we all tried to calm him down. He was really red" Crawford said.

Two University motorcycle officers arrived on the scene, along with three police cars. A University police truck blocked off the street at the intersection of Sanford Drive and Baldwin Street. An ambulance pulled up next to the bus, blocking the Baldwin and Lumpkin street intersection.

The bus remained at the scene until about 10:45 a.m., when Campus Transit Operations Manager Chris Baker removed it. He said he didn't know of any other pedestrians hit this semester, but couldn't he remember. He said he had no further comment.

Matt Winston, assistant to President Michael Adams, arrived at the scene but said he had no comment.

Williamson said the Athens-Clarke County government would assess the situation, as it is typical for an outside government to do so when another government is involved in an accident to avoid bias.

The area has had its share of accidents in the past. Last fall assistant professor Antje Ascheid was hit by a car while crossing the street outside the Fine Arts building, and in fall of 2004, drama professor Farley Richmond was thrown 30 feet after being hit by a car at the same intersection of Baldwin and Lumpkin streets. Richmond suffered a fractured kneecap and wrist from the accident. Ascheid suffered a concussion and had to receive several stitches.

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